My dear Brother Eduardo V. Manalo,
I am Brother Marco Boni of Rome, Italy, and I am writing you this letter to express my profound gratitude for all that you do, with great dedication, for the good of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, and in particular for the edification of the brethren all over the world, so that one day we may be included among those who will receive the promised salvation at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It has already been 31 years since we first met in 1994, when we were both witnesses to a great event that was a milestone in the history of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. It was on July 27, 1994, when the Iglesia Ni Cristo was officially registered in Rome as a Religious Organization, in the city that is known worldwide as the heart of Catholicism. This was a great triumph for the Iglesia Ni Cristo, but more importantly, it was the fulfillment of one of the many prophecies found in the Holy Scriptures concerning the work of God’s Messenger in these last days, namely Brother Felix Manalo.
I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I was entrusted with the task of interpreting for Brother Eraño G. Manalo. I remember being extremely nervous that day, full of doubts above all, I feared not being up to the task that had been assigned to me. But you, Brother, although we did not speak the same language except for English, you came up to me and calmly told me not to be afraid, but to fully trust in our Lord God and everything would turn out well.
I was struck by your calmness and confidence, despite the weight of your duties, which included reading the Bible during the special Worship Service. That worship service was held at the House of Worship in Rome in the presence of many brethren from all over the world. Your few words gave me a surge of energy that dispelled all my fears, and just as you had said, everything went perfectly; in fact, it was a day that I will never forget.
Brother Eduardo, I will always be grateful to you for those words, and I will continue to pray to our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ to always bless and guide you in the difficult responsibility you hold today as the Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.
Many years have passed, and we have met in person several times, for example, during the inauguration of the School for Ministers also in Rome, even on that occasion, your words during the homily deeply moved me and inspired me to give my best for the Iglesia Ni Cristo, especially in propagating the Gospel among my fellow countrymen.
Today, as then, every time I hear your words during worship services, I feel ever more strengthened in the faith because your words which are none other than the words of our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in the Holy Scriptures are the vital nourishment that feeds my spirit and gives me the strength to face and overcome every difficulty, problem, or temptation I encounter in daily life.
Even recently, when I was hospitalized in September 2024 due to a serious kidney illness that forced me to undergo dialysis, I thought of you and your heartfelt prayers to God at the end of every worship service when you implore Him to protect every member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo worldwide, and particularly when you ask Him to heal those who are sick. You also address all of us and say: “Trust in God and in Jesus Christ, supplicate them in your prayers, and you will see that everything will be all right.” Indeed, I followed your guidance, doing exactly as you said. Every day I prayed to our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal me from that illness, fully aware that what I was going through was a test to verify whether my faith in Them was truly genuine. In the end, to the great astonishment of the doctors themselves, everything turned out well. I was healed and no longer need dialysis, although I still need to undergo regular medical check-ups to prevent the illness from recurring.
What especially amazed the doctors was that, knowing I was not Catholic because I had refused to receive communion on Sunday, was that I had asked them one day to join me in prayer. What surprised them most was that in my prayer, I prayed for them, asking God to use them as His instruments so that I might be healed. At the end of the prayer, they thanked me, saying that no one had ever prayed to God for them, asking Him to help them heal a patient.
Please know, Brother Eduardo, that during my entire hospital stay and even now, every time I go for medical checkups, I do nothing but talk to people about the Iglesia Ni Cristo and what we believe in; after all, this too is a way of spreading the faith.
Brother Eduardo, I will never tire of listening to your preachings because every time I hear you, your words are a source of inspiration and especially help me to remain firm in the faith especially in these times filled with wickedness and peril.
Brother Eduardo, I will never stop praying to our Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ that They may protect you and Brother Angelo Eraño Manalo and guide you both in the difficult task you have received—to bring the entire Iglesia Ni Cristo to the perfection of faith.
Brother Eduardo, once again I express my deep gratitude for everything you do for me and for all the members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo. May the grace and blessings of God always be with you.
Your Brother in the Lord,
Bro. Marco Boni
Volunteer Worker
